The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-16

| before the night nurse get the cover OH
there issued from the enclosure OF
pasteboard feeble wal which told of
the little spark OF life within. The
night nurse whistied up the tube to the
matron in an excited whisper that there
wss an emergency case downstairs.
The matron in turn whiStled to the
doctor The metron'S assistant nurse
jumped into her pretty wrapper and
slippers and slipped down stairs like
sunbeam. Five minutes later the doc
tor emerged from his apartment, clad
in his dressing gown and anxious to see
what was the matter. The bellin the
little reception-room rang out sharply
and imperatively. The clock struck.
it seemed to those who listened, with
certain accent of emphasis suitable
to the occasion. The hospital awoke,
and the first faint streak of dawn sprang
up in the east just as the sleepy hack
man emerged from the front door of
the hospital, climbed up in his seat,
hung down his head, pulled his hat over
his eyes, and allowed the horses TO start
down the hill leading back to the city
at their own gait.
Meantime the girl whom he had
brought to the hospital waited with the
handbook in her arms. She was a wee
bit of thing, not more than II years
old, with small, scared face and big.
piteOus eyes, which looked as if the
tears in them had been frozen. When
the doctor and the matron entered the
room she started guilty, and a hot
flush came over her pale face. She
pointed to the handbook, from which
the doctor removed the cover silently.
la6 m in ! nc n
which were. however, quite large
enough fer its little body, lay some
thing which looked like q miniature
baby and which gave signs of life by
it's faint breathing. Little conversation
passed between the newcomer and the
doctor. 1t was evident that the baby
had been born about an hour before. 1t
was also quite evident that it could not
live. The girl was at once taken to the
comfortable lying in ward and properly
cared for.
The little spark of humanity which
she had brought into the world with
out the assistance of any physician or
nurse fingered but day or so. 1t was
prematureIy born. and the sense of
shame which the girl had felt when she
hid the wee thing away in the box that
none might know it possessed life, gave
way to one or grief when she saw the
little creature dead in the crib at her
bedside.
Then she told those who had be-
friended her her sad story. In the main
it was not an unusual one, but the des-
peration which had driven her out into
the night as soon as her baby was born
is q new feature IN the Casa phase
eloquent in the extreme with misery.
The girl was mad with shame, other
wise she never could have risen from
her bed, dressed herself, wrapped her
child, and tottere6 forth into the streets
with the band-box in her arms as she
did. Moreover, she was but wee
thing herself, little more than 4 child.
but with that desperate sense OF shame
upon her, and possessed Of bEt one mad
desire to conceal Der disgrace.
In this sad plight; having given birth
to her child without so much as the
comforting sight of physician, or the
tenderness OF WOman's care, the girl
tottered on for four or five blocks until
her feeble steps attracted the attention
of a good-natured hackman, who, look
ing up drowsily, thought he saw a sick,
homeless girl probably about to come
down with fey r. The man had had a
good day. His pockets were filled with
silver. He was in g mood for doing
something generous. So he stopped his
horses aud advised the girl to go to the
hospital. A second invitation was not
necessary. The weary creature as
scented gratefully. The man clambered
down from his perch, opened the door
of the carriage for her and almost lifted
her in. He saw that her strength was
failing, so he took her under one arm
and the box under the other When he
had placed her carefully on one of the
seats the man handed her her luggage.
Here's your hat" he said. glancing
carelessly at the shape Of the box.
The girl Was servant in family.
Nobody knew Of her betrayal. When
the hour Of her dehverance came she
suffered IL alone in darkness and in
silence. Then she unlocked the house
door and crept out as if she had been a
thief.
When the family arose in the morn
ing they were surprised to find the girl
had gone. Like other well-meaning
people they counted their spoons and
were glad to find them undiminished.
The little girl was very quiet and
very sad. She cried little when the
baby died. Within few weeks she had
recovered sufficiently 10 receive her dis
charge, and went awav, nobody knew
where. carrying with her the identical
handbook which she bad brought to the
hospital
NkrEy